Joe and I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing 4th of July holiday!
This week Mark Dykes, chief apiary inspector of the Texas Apiary Inspection Service, joined us for our Straight from the Pros segment to answer Karen’s question about bees: “I live in older home and my main concern is BEES! They are inside my north walls. We have had them exterminated, but they keep coming back even more! Needless to say, we can’t mow or work on our home on this side because of them. We are not financially able to tear out walls right now and put back new. Can you suggest anything?”
Listen to Mark’s suggestion in hour two of the radio show.
Tip of the Week
Whether you own a portable or whole-house standby generator, it’s important to perform regular maintenance to ensure maximum performance. Be sure to check the owner’s manual and follow the procedures and service intervals for your specific model, including:
- checking and changing the oil
- cleaning the spark arrestor screen
- replacing the air filter
- replacing the spark plug
In addition to performing the regular maintenance above, check out Portable and Home Standby Generator Maintenance Tips to keep your generator running smoothly.
Here’s what else we tackled in this week’s show:
Hour 1
Barry in ID
We recently moved from Baldwin County, Alabama to Nampa, Idaho. We are looking to build a new home and some of the contractors are using conditioned crawl spaces. I found conflicting information in my internet searches on the subject. Please provide some guidance on the subject.
Urban in AL
My father in law’s home shows signs of water intrusion along the outer wall/floor edge after a rain. I dug up the outside dirt and grass along that wall, cleaned and prepped the slab and brick all, and then sprayed Flexseal on the area, let it dry, then backfilled the area again. A few months later, it now is wet along that carpet edge again. No signs of dampness on the ceiling or sheetrock. I don’t know where to go next.
Sherry in NE
I painted my concrete porch floor and it’s starting to peel in spots and it looks terrible. Any tips would be appreciated!
Jay in AL
We have a sinkhole problem in our front yard. It’s not horrible, but it needs to be repaired. What’s the best way to get it repaired?
Chris in WI
I had a new patio put in and need to add top soil so the water drains away from the patio and then plant grass around the patio. How high should the top soil be? Should it be level with the top of the patio? Or lower to accommodate for the grass.
Dylan in FL
I am restoring a concrete bench found in a park creek dated 1950s: What type of wood would be best to use so not to rot or splinter. I was considering teak or cedar.
Bob in OH
Are latex paint and acrylic paint the same?
Don in CA
What are the steps in replacing a fence post?
Hour 2
Dobbie in FL
We have a sidewalk which includes a switchback down a steep slope. The sidewalk is concrete and has a bed on either side which includes French drains. When we have heavy rain the water is eroding the beds and apparently bypassing the drains. We have considered building raised beds on either side of the walks but are afraid the water will wash the soil underneath the raised beds. The plants currently in the beds are ones that have a strong root system, but they have not stopped the erosion. My husband, a retired construction manager in the nuclear field, designed and constructed the retaining walls and had the concrete work done professionally. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Jolanda in FL
I built my home in 2010 and just recently I started pulling some carpet up in my master bedroom. I could see light from outside where the floor meets the wall. Does this mean I have foundation issues?
Joanne in OR
Can I lay pavers directly on cement or do I need sand?
Carolyn in GA
If I were to replace my old and cracking driveway with a gravel driveway, what types of edging would help keep gravel from getting into the grass?
Larry
Our kitchen drain is smelly. There is a dishwasher right next to the sink and I’m getting some gurgling and some odors coming out. What I can do for that?
Beth in ID
I have a screened-in porch, and I’d like to know the best way to clean the screens. They’re not removable, so I’m just not sure what to do. I was just going to a scrub brush or something, but I was afraid to put too much pressure on them.
